Every morning, we wake up and go through the same routine: take a shower, brush your teeth, shave, get dressed, eat breakfast, read the paper, and go to work. But somehow, even though you’ve gone through your morning routine countless times, something still doesn’t go your way. You spill coffee on your shirt, or you lock your keys in the car.
It’s the same with baseball. You have your routine in the batter’s box: Step out, look at the sign, check the fielders’ positioning, fix your batting gloves, adjust your helmet, take a practice swing and step up to the plate. But you see, in a baseball game, you can do everything right and you still won’t win. Sometimes it’s the hardest hit ball that gets caught.
Then again, you can do everything wrong and still come out a hero. Last year, I entered a game to pitch with the team winning by one run. I inherited runners on first and second with one out. I walked the first batter on four pitches to load the bases. Then I hit the next batter with a pitch to force in the tying run. On the next pitch, I induced an inning-ending double play. In the bottom of the inning the team rallied at the plate to take the lead for good. I was credited with the win. My stat line looked something like this: W, IP: 0.2, BB: 1, HBP: 1, ER: 1. The worst pitching performance I can remember produced my first college win.
That’s baseball.
Baseball is having an alumni, who pitched some of the best games in your school’s history, yet never picked up a win in his four years, send a text message to your teammate after a game like that saying: “Bubar got a win?!”
Maybe baseball just can’t be figured out no matter how much you play. No two baseball games are alike. No matter how consistent you are, no matter how perfect you replicate the way you bend down to field a grounder, the ball doesn’t bounce the same way every time. Sometimes the ball kicks up off a pebble in the dirt and hits you right in the mouth. And all you can say is: “That’s life.”
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Dugout Antics
Walking into the dugout early before practice is like walking into a comedy club. My teammates are scattered on the steps of the dugout, the bench, and even the floor. Anywhere where you can get a seat for the open-mic show.
We talk mostly about baseball. The coaches tell stories of players they once coached or played against. Everyone laughs and chimes in like war vets looking back and sharing stories. There are some serious stories, but most are funny. We impersonate players who played on the team last year and remember funny bus rides.
Then somebody comes up to you and tells you that he heard someone mentioned your name at dinner the other night. “Who was it?” you ask. And they respond, “Flip Wilson!” And flip your hat off your head.
The coaches shout out that it’s time for warm-ups. And although practice just then officially starts, it has really been going on for much longer.
We talk mostly about baseball. The coaches tell stories of players they once coached or played against. Everyone laughs and chimes in like war vets looking back and sharing stories. There are some serious stories, but most are funny. We impersonate players who played on the team last year and remember funny bus rides.
Then somebody comes up to you and tells you that he heard someone mentioned your name at dinner the other night. “Who was it?” you ask. And they respond, “Flip Wilson!” And flip your hat off your head.
The coaches shout out that it’s time for warm-ups. And although practice just then officially starts, it has really been going on for much longer.
Monday, September 22, 2008
A New Era
September 20
What an exciting day! Saturday started with the opening ceremony for the new Prentiss Field complex and culminated with a double-header scrimmage against SUNY New Paltz. Although, we had our own games to focus on, it felt like Saturday was about more than just baseball. It was about Vassar athletics as a whole. With soccer and field hockey games on the fields next to the baseball diamond and alums surveying the beautiful new complex, it was clear that Saturday was the beginning of a new era.
What was most striking was that it was apparent even to the opponents that Vassar was on the rise. After reaching second base on a passed ball, the SUNY New Paltz shortstop said to me, “This is a beautiful field. It must be great for your program!”
And we played like a team improving, as well. Our offense is exciting! We have 10 to 11 guys who can all hit in the top of the order. We sprayed line drives all over the field and it will be interesting to see how the lineup plays out during the season. Sophomore Joe Castilla hit a first inning homer (only the second ever at Prentiss Field) and sophomore David Ringold hit a double and triple. Our pitching was also solid with senior Tyler Bellstrom starting the first game.
I like to come to the field every day with a purpose, whether it’s working on my footwork in the field or taking the ball the opposite way at the plate. As a team, it looked like we came to the field Saturday with a purpose. We wanted to get the season off right and we definitely played well. Individually, I came to the field with the purpose of getting some experience in at first base and showing some power at the plate like I did near the end of my summer season.
I was very pleased with the way I played defense at first base. I got more comfortable at the position as the game went along, and my confidence in my ability to play the position is now where it needs to be going into the offseason. Although, I didn’t hit any extra-base hits on Saturday, I was able to get on base and score four times. Overall, I was pleased with the both the team’s performances and my performance. In a way it seems that the fall season culminated with our scrimmages yesterday, but in fact, we still have two more weeks of practice to go. It’s nice to use the scrimmage as a starting point, knowing that we played well and we will only get better.
What an exciting day! Saturday started with the opening ceremony for the new Prentiss Field complex and culminated with a double-header scrimmage against SUNY New Paltz. Although, we had our own games to focus on, it felt like Saturday was about more than just baseball. It was about Vassar athletics as a whole. With soccer and field hockey games on the fields next to the baseball diamond and alums surveying the beautiful new complex, it was clear that Saturday was the beginning of a new era.
What was most striking was that it was apparent even to the opponents that Vassar was on the rise. After reaching second base on a passed ball, the SUNY New Paltz shortstop said to me, “This is a beautiful field. It must be great for your program!”
And we played like a team improving, as well. Our offense is exciting! We have 10 to 11 guys who can all hit in the top of the order. We sprayed line drives all over the field and it will be interesting to see how the lineup plays out during the season. Sophomore Joe Castilla hit a first inning homer (only the second ever at Prentiss Field) and sophomore David Ringold hit a double and triple. Our pitching was also solid with senior Tyler Bellstrom starting the first game.
I like to come to the field every day with a purpose, whether it’s working on my footwork in the field or taking the ball the opposite way at the plate. As a team, it looked like we came to the field Saturday with a purpose. We wanted to get the season off right and we definitely played well. Individually, I came to the field with the purpose of getting some experience in at first base and showing some power at the plate like I did near the end of my summer season.
I was very pleased with the way I played defense at first base. I got more comfortable at the position as the game went along, and my confidence in my ability to play the position is now where it needs to be going into the offseason. Although, I didn’t hit any extra-base hits on Saturday, I was able to get on base and score four times. Overall, I was pleased with the both the team’s performances and my performance. In a way it seems that the fall season culminated with our scrimmages yesterday, but in fact, we still have two more weeks of practice to go. It’s nice to use the scrimmage as a starting point, knowing that we played well and we will only get better.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Picking Up Speed
September 18
The baseball diamond is where I can let everything go. For two or three hours during practice, I can put the stress of school work behind me and just play ball. On the field, nothing else matters but the game.
We are at the point now where things are starting to pick up on and off the field. It’s week two of baseball practice and week three of Vassar. And that means that the work load is starting to get heavier.
Sometimes it is hard to stay on top of my work. When I get back to my dorm room late after practice all I want to do is lie in bed and watch re-runs of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” But I know that I can’t fall behind on my homework. Having practice every other day, for the most part, helps. It allows me time to catch up on reading assignments and rest. Time management is key to being a successful student athlete.
Things on the baseball field are also starting to pick up. Our arms are back up to playing speed after the summer- we long-tossed in practice today. And we have the routine down now. Everybody knows in which group they belong when and where. We are getting to know the new tryout members better each day and things are coming together nicely.
That being said, it’s not time to settle. We can’t stop here. Every day we either get better or we get worse. There is no staying the same.
The baseball diamond is where I can let everything go. For two or three hours during practice, I can put the stress of school work behind me and just play ball. On the field, nothing else matters but the game.
We are at the point now where things are starting to pick up on and off the field. It’s week two of baseball practice and week three of Vassar. And that means that the work load is starting to get heavier.
Sometimes it is hard to stay on top of my work. When I get back to my dorm room late after practice all I want to do is lie in bed and watch re-runs of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” But I know that I can’t fall behind on my homework. Having practice every other day, for the most part, helps. It allows me time to catch up on reading assignments and rest. Time management is key to being a successful student athlete.
Things on the baseball field are also starting to pick up. Our arms are back up to playing speed after the summer- we long-tossed in practice today. And we have the routine down now. Everybody knows in which group they belong when and where. We are getting to know the new tryout members better each day and things are coming together nicely.
That being said, it’s not time to settle. We can’t stop here. Every day we either get better or we get worse. There is no staying the same.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Baseball's Forumula: Hard Work Will Pay Off
A good friend of mine used to say, ‘This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.’”
That, of course, is a quote from the 1988 baseball movie Bull Durham. And on a day like today, when practice is cut short after warm-ups because of rain, I think back to that line. I laugh every time I hear it because it is such an extreme understatement.
If you add it all up, I have probably played in over 700 baseball games. That’s if you include tee-ball, coach-pitch underhand, coach-pitch overhand, little league, travel team, middle school ball, high school ball, college ball, and summer ball. That means I have probably come to bat over 2000 times, fielded over 1500 ground balls, and thrown over 10,000 balls.
And I still can’t figure this game out.
But I try.
Today, as we huddled in the dugout to avoid the rain, coach asked us to think about our personal and team goals for the year. Obviously, as a team, we all want to improve on last year. As coach said, we can win 20 games this year. With the new class of freshman, we have much more depth on offense and in the bullpen. We have a lot of possibilities for moving guys around in the lineup and in the field. Personally, I would like to get more playing time this year, whether I’m playing first base, second base or anywhere else. I know that my playing time depends on how much work I put in this fall and in the winter offseason. This morning I woke up early for an optional lift at 8 a.m. and got to the field early to work on my footwork at first base.
I was extremely impressed when I arrived at the field for practice this afternoon. To my surprise about half the team was at the field 45 minutes early getting some cuts in the batting cage and throwing some balls around. There is definitely a baseball-oriented attitude on this year’s team. And that will make playing a lot easier.
That, of course, is a quote from the 1988 baseball movie Bull Durham. And on a day like today, when practice is cut short after warm-ups because of rain, I think back to that line. I laugh every time I hear it because it is such an extreme understatement.
If you add it all up, I have probably played in over 700 baseball games. That’s if you include tee-ball, coach-pitch underhand, coach-pitch overhand, little league, travel team, middle school ball, high school ball, college ball, and summer ball. That means I have probably come to bat over 2000 times, fielded over 1500 ground balls, and thrown over 10,000 balls.
And I still can’t figure this game out.
But I try.
Today, as we huddled in the dugout to avoid the rain, coach asked us to think about our personal and team goals for the year. Obviously, as a team, we all want to improve on last year. As coach said, we can win 20 games this year. With the new class of freshman, we have much more depth on offense and in the bullpen. We have a lot of possibilities for moving guys around in the lineup and in the field. Personally, I would like to get more playing time this year, whether I’m playing first base, second base or anywhere else. I know that my playing time depends on how much work I put in this fall and in the winter offseason. This morning I woke up early for an optional lift at 8 a.m. and got to the field early to work on my footwork at first base.
I was extremely impressed when I arrived at the field for practice this afternoon. To my surprise about half the team was at the field 45 minutes early getting some cuts in the batting cage and throwing some balls around. There is definitely a baseball-oriented attitude on this year’s team. And that will make playing a lot easier.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Embracing Change
September 8
In life, we change positions all the time. We change jobs. We change hair styles. We change addresses. Sometimes we fear the change. Sometimes we welcome it. Usually, we do a little of both.
The same holds true for changing positions in baseball. As I switch from primarily playing second base to playing some first base, I fear and welcome the change. I fear it because all I have known my whole life is middle infield. I look like a middle infielder; athletic and slender, as opposed to the big, slow stereotype of a first baseman. But I also welcome the change, for it could yield consistent playing time.
Maybe the coaches and I were on the same page. But for all I know, adding first base to my repertoire of positions was my teammates’ and my decision. I intend to work extra before practice this Friday and the days to come until I feel fully comfortable at the position. Sometimes, in life and in baseball, we must embrace change in order to grow as people and as ballplayers.
In life, we change positions all the time. We change jobs. We change hair styles. We change addresses. Sometimes we fear the change. Sometimes we welcome it. Usually, we do a little of both.
The same holds true for changing positions in baseball. As I switch from primarily playing second base to playing some first base, I fear and welcome the change. I fear it because all I have known my whole life is middle infield. I look like a middle infielder; athletic and slender, as opposed to the big, slow stereotype of a first baseman. But I also welcome the change, for it could yield consistent playing time.
Maybe the coaches and I were on the same page. But for all I know, adding first base to my repertoire of positions was my teammates’ and my decision. I intend to work extra before practice this Friday and the days to come until I feel fully comfortable at the position. Sometimes, in life and in baseball, we must embrace change in order to grow as people and as ballplayers.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
New Year, New Field, New Attitude
September 8
Fall tryouts for the Vassar College baseball team started bright and early this morning. Before the sun rose, before the humidity settled over Poughkeepsie, and before the All Campus Dining Center opened for breakfast, we gathered in the Varsity weight room for a 6 a.m. team lift.
Already, there’s a noticeable difference in attitude this year than last year. The number of players trying out is way up and everyone, including the coaches, seems much more serious about taking Vassar baseball to the next level. Maybe that’s what carried us through our routine of bench press, squats, dead lifts, power cleans, lat pull downs and core exercises. This program can get a lot stronger as a team if we put in the effort to get stronger as individuals.
Signs of a progressing program were evident in the afternoon practice as well. After eating breakfast as a team, taking a nap, and going to class we convened on one of the nicest fields I have ever played on: Prentiss Field. Last year we played the second half of our home games on the new field before the dugouts, the scoreboard and the press box were finished. But with everything ready for use now, the pride in playing on a new, finished home field overshadowed our tiredness and soreness from this morning. Everybody, from the returning seniors to the numerous freshmen, seemed excited to play.
Tryouts began with a pro-style evaluation with a 60-yard dash and fielding evaluations for outfielders and infielders. Then, we broke off into teams and played an intersquad scrimmage. After playing in the Clark Griffith League, a premier college baseball league in the Washington, DC area, this summer, it was nice to test my skills against our own pitchers. Last year for Vassar, I mostly played designated hitter, second base and pitcher. But today I also played some first base and may be able to help the team by switching over there. Overall, it was an exciting, but tiring start to the fall season. I am sure I will wake up sore tomorrow, but with high hopes and expectations for the remainder of the year.
Fall tryouts for the Vassar College baseball team started bright and early this morning. Before the sun rose, before the humidity settled over Poughkeepsie, and before the All Campus Dining Center opened for breakfast, we gathered in the Varsity weight room for a 6 a.m. team lift.
Already, there’s a noticeable difference in attitude this year than last year. The number of players trying out is way up and everyone, including the coaches, seems much more serious about taking Vassar baseball to the next level. Maybe that’s what carried us through our routine of bench press, squats, dead lifts, power cleans, lat pull downs and core exercises. This program can get a lot stronger as a team if we put in the effort to get stronger as individuals.
Signs of a progressing program were evident in the afternoon practice as well. After eating breakfast as a team, taking a nap, and going to class we convened on one of the nicest fields I have ever played on: Prentiss Field. Last year we played the second half of our home games on the new field before the dugouts, the scoreboard and the press box were finished. But with everything ready for use now, the pride in playing on a new, finished home field overshadowed our tiredness and soreness from this morning. Everybody, from the returning seniors to the numerous freshmen, seemed excited to play.
Tryouts began with a pro-style evaluation with a 60-yard dash and fielding evaluations for outfielders and infielders. Then, we broke off into teams and played an intersquad scrimmage. After playing in the Clark Griffith League, a premier college baseball league in the Washington, DC area, this summer, it was nice to test my skills against our own pitchers. Last year for Vassar, I mostly played designated hitter, second base and pitcher. But today I also played some first base and may be able to help the team by switching over there. Overall, it was an exciting, but tiring start to the fall season. I am sure I will wake up sore tomorrow, but with high hopes and expectations for the remainder of the year.
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